(1) An interested taxpayer may petition the regular division of the Oregon Tax Court to determine a question described in ORS 305.580.
(2)(a) For purposes of this section and a question described in ORS 305.580 (1)(a), “interested taxpayer” means a person that is subject to the tax, fee, charge or assessment in question.
(b) For purposes of this section and a question described in ORS 305.580 (1)(b), “interested taxpayer” means a person that is subject to a tax, fee, charge or assessment that is pledged to secure or available for payment of bonded indebtedness described in section 11 (11)(d), Article XI of the Oregon Constitution.
(3) The petition shall be filed and perfected in the following manner only:
(a) The petitioner shall file a petition with the clerk of the tax court at its principal office in Salem, Oregon. The petition shall name as respondent the government unit that imposes the tax, fee, charge or assessment, that issues the bonded indebtedness or, in the case of an urban renewal agency, that receives the taxes. The filing in the tax court shall constitute the perfection of the petition. The clerk of the tax court shall serve the government unit by mailing a copy of the petition to the recording officer or chief administrative officer of the local government unit or to the Attorney General if the tax, fee, charge or assessment in question is imposed by the State of Oregon. The clerk also shall serve a copy of any petition naming a local government unit as respondent upon the Oregon Department of Justice.
(b) The petition shall state the facts and grounds upon which the petitioner contends that the tax, fee, charge or assessment is affected by section 11 or 11b, Article XI of the Oregon Constitution, or that a use of the proceeds of bonded indebtedness is not authorized. The case shall proceed thereafter in the manner provided for appeals concerning ad valorem property tax assessments. ORS 305.405 to 305.494 shall apply to such actions.
(4)(a) Except as provided in subsections (5) to (8) of this section, in the case of a question regarding the effect of the limits of section 11b, Article XI of the Oregon Constitution, on any tax, fee, charge or assessment that is imposed under a resolution or ordinance approved by the governing body of a local government unit, the petition shall be filed within 60 days after the action of the governing body approving the ordinance or resolution, adopting a new ordinance or resolution or changing an existing ordinance or resolution under which the tax, fee, charge or assessment is imposed, if the resolution or ordinance includes a classification of the tax, fee, charge or assessment as subject to or not subject to section 11 or 11b, Article XI of the Oregon Constitution. If the local government unit has not classified the tax, fee, charge or assessment, the petition shall be filed within 60 days after the later of:
(A) The last date, but no later than November 15, that the tax statements were mailed for the tax year in which the tax, fee, charge or assessment was imposed; or
(B) The date of imposition of the tax, fee, charge or assessment on the petitioner.
(b) If the local government unit adopts an ordinance or resolution classifying all or any of the taxes, fees, charges or assessments it imposes as subject to or not subject to section 11 or 11b, Article XI of the Oregon Constitution, as described in ORS 310.145, the petition shall be filed within 60 days after the governing body adopts the ordinance or resolution.
(5) In the case of a question concerning any tax, fee, charge or assessment that is characterized by the local government unit as an assessment for local improvements, the petition shall be filed within 60 days after the local government unit gives notice of its intention to characterize the charge as an assessment for local improvements. Notice may be given to affected property owners by the local government unit either when a local improvement district is formed, in a notice of intent to assess given by the local government unit or by other individual notice prior to assessment. Notice shall be given no later than the date the assessment is imposed. Notice given as provided under this subsection is in lieu of the notice required under subsection (9) of this section.
(6) In the case of a question concerning any taxes levied to pay principal and interest on bonded indebtedness approved by the governing body of a local government unit, the petition shall be filed within 60 days after the date the issuance of the bonded indebtedness was approved by the governing body of the local government unit if the resolution or ordinance of the governing body authorizing issuance of the bonded indebtedness includes a classification of the bonded indebtedness as subject to or not subject to the limits of section 11 or 11b, Article XI of the Oregon Constitution. If the local government unit has not classified the bonded indebtedness, the petition shall be filed within 60 days after the date specified in subsection (4)(a) of this section.
(7) In the case of a question concerning any taxes levied to pay principal and interest on bonded indebtedness not subject to the limits of section 11 or 11b, Article XI of the Oregon Constitution, that was approved by the electors of the local government unit at an election held on or after September 29, 1991, the petition shall be filed within 60 days after the date of the election at which the question of issuing the bonded indebtedness was approved by the electors of the local government unit.
(8) In the case of a question concerning the effect of section 11 or 11b, Article XI of the Oregon Constitution, on any tax, fee, charge or assessment imposed by the state, the petition shall be filed within 60 days after the first imposition of the tax, fee, charge or assessment by a state agency. For purposes of this subsection, a tax, fee, charge or assessment shall be considered imposed when it is due as provided by statute or when the state agency notifies a person that the tax, fee, charge or assessment is due.
(9) A local government unit:
(a) Shall give notice of its adoption of an ordinance or resolution classifying any of its taxes, fees, charges or assessments as not being subject to the limits of section 11 or 11b, Article XI of the Oregon Constitution, by publishing, within 15 days after adoption of the ordinance or resolution, an advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the local government unit is located or, if there is no newspaper of general circulation, in a newspaper of general circulation in a contiguous county.
(b) May give notice of its adoption of an ordinance or resolution specifying the authorized uses of the proceeds of bonded indebtedness by publishing, within 15 days after adoption of the ordinance or resolution, an advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the local government unit is located or, if there is no newspaper of general circulation, in a newspaper of general circulation in a contiguous county.
(10) A notice described in subsection (9) of this section shall:
(a) Appear in the general news section of the newspaper, not in the classified advertisements;
(b) Measure at least three inches square;
(c) Be printed in a type size at least equal to 8-point type; and
(d) State that the local government unit has adopted a resolution or ordinance:
(A) Classifying one or more of its taxes, fees, charges or assessments as not being subject to the limits of section 11 or 11b, Article XI of the Oregon Constitution, that the reader may contact a designated individual within the local government unit to obtain a copy of the ordinance or resolution and that judicial review of the classification of the taxes, fees, charges or assessments may be sought within 60 days of the date of the resolution or ordinance; or
(B) Specifying the authorized uses of the proceeds of bonded indebtedness, that the reader may contact a designated individual within the local government unit to obtain a copy of the ordinance or resolution and that judicial review of the specification of authorized uses may be sought within 60 days of the date of the resolution or ordinance.
(11) An ordinance or resolution that results in a mere change in the amount of a tax, fee, charge or assessment and does not result in a change in the characteristics or attributes of the tax, fee, charge or assessment, or contain a change in purpose to which the revenue is applied, may not be considered a change that may result in a proceeding commenced under subsection (4) of this section.
(12) In the case of a question concerning the authorized uses of the proceeds of bonded indebtedness, the petition must be filed within 60 days after publication of the notice described in subsection (9)(b) of this section or, if the governing body has not published the notice described in subsection (9)(b) of this section, the petition must be filed within 180 days after the questioned use of the proceeds is made. [1991 c.459 §26; 1993 c.18 §66; 1993 c.270 §19; 1995 c.79 §110; 1995 c.650 §73; 1997 c.541 §§78,78a,79,79a; 1999 c.340 §9; 2003 c.195 §20; 2005 c.225 §5; 2005 c.443 §18]
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